It did not take much power at all to see time lines where Renn had won the fight.
I had decided not to tell Baltrice what would have happened to her if we’d lost. If she had so much as a hint, I could never have stopped her from killing Renn, and I was going to need him to navigate the Labyrinth.
Having left intact the magics that sustained his life and healed his injuries, I anticipated a virtually unlimited potential use-life for my Rennoscope (Rennscanner? Rennometer?). All his physical needs provided by the magics, he might well survive a century or more, which was far longer than I would need him.
Someday, perhaps, if I found myself in a sentimental mood, I might decide to rebuild him into a man. It was possible.
But not likely.
Once she had finished up, Baltrice rode her gravity sled over to where I sat with Renn’s head. She slid off and mopped sooty sweat from her face with a grimy sleeve. “Well, that’s it. Probably more inside, but no trouble. I got to tell you, I still don’t understand why our army of necromancers didn’t whip out a few thousand nasty beasties to piss on my bonfire.”
“You will. Patience.”
“Is that all you have to say about it? Patience?”
“It’s an underrated virtue.”
“Tell you what, then: you keep all of yours and take mine too. What there is of it.” She propped her hands on her hips and stared back at the featureless, opalescent enormity of the Labyrinth. “What now? Straight in?”
“No.”
“You have a better idea?”
“Usually.”
“I’ll tell you, I don’t think anything I can do will affect the structure itself. The walls don’t even pick up soot.”
“It’s not ordinary crystal. I’m not sure it’s physical.”
“Huh?”
I let one shoulder twitch in half a shrug. “It has occurred to me that if Renn’s hypotemporal shield trick were to be made a great deal more powerful-if time never passed at all at its surface, or nearly so-it could, theoretically, look like that.”
She shook her head. “Glad I’m not the one who has to figure stuff out around here.”
“You do very well at it, though. How’s your back?” I had adapted the autohealing magic Renn had built into his body to treat our various wounds-an imperfect solution, but the best we had.
She worked her shoulders back and forth a few times, then shrugged. “It hurts. But it’s not gonna kill me. How’s your face?”
“Likewise.” I gave her a lopsided smile, which was the best I could do around the swollen bruises and barely closed cuts that covered most of my head. Two of my teeth were loose enough that they might fall out before I had time to repair my jaw, but the long-term effects of the rest of my injuries would be only scars. “It hurts.”
As did my hands, my legs, my guts, and virtually every other part of my body to which I could put a name.
“Bruises and a couple new scars? Small enough price to pay for living through a scrape like that,” she said. “I won’t forget what you did today, Tezzeret. You didn’t have to come back for me. You went in knowing what he could do. Put yourself between him and me. I’m not sure I would have done the same for you.”
“If I’d left you there, I’d be dead now. Or soon.” It seemed wisest to avoid elaborating further.
“Well, I’m grateful anyway, huh?” She looked down at Renn’s head, and nudged the telemin halo with her drakeskin boot. “He dead yet?”
“No. I need him alive.”
“Isn’t he kind of excitable, though? Loses his head in a crisis, right? He like, y’ know, flies off the-”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t mock him,” I said. “Please.”
“Why in the hells not? You think he wouldn’t be gloating over us if this had gone the other way?”
“His behavior isn’t my concern. Mine is.”
“You seem pretty concerned about my behavior.”
“I’m not. But allowing you to taunt him would be rude.”
She flexed her shoulders and thrust her chin out toward me pugnaciously. “And if I decide I feel like doing a victory fandango up and down that back-shooting bastard’s face, just exactly how do you figure to stop me?”
“By asking you not to,” I said. “Politely.”
She glared at me for about a second, which was as long as she could hold the glare before she cracked a smile. “You are some piece of work,” she said, shaking her head and chuckling. “You really are.”
“Compliments on my design and construction should be addressed to Nicol Bolas.”
“I wonder if he knows exactly what he’s got here. Something tells me that behind that deadpan of yours, you’ve got a surprise or two for him, too.”
This didn’t seem to call for a reply. Out from a pocket in my magicked clothing I brought the etherium thumb ring I had made for her. “Here.”
She took it from my hand. “Jewelry? Are you sure it’s time to take our relationship to that level?”
“You can wear that on your thumb-or, I suppose, given the size of your hands, on your fourth finger.”
“What’s it do?”
“It’s a locator, that’s all. When I’m done, I’ll signal. You’ll know it’s me because the ring will light up and tingle. It will direct you to wherever I am. It’s etherium; it’ll never run out of power.”
“When you’re done?” She flushed, and tiny flames began to flicker in her eyes. “What, is this the brush-off? The Take a Festering Hike, Fat Bitch?”
“It’s a promise,” I said. “You have done everything I’ve asked of you, and more. You have earned Jace Beleren’s freedom. Even if I fail. Even if I die.”
I lifted my own hand to show her the matching ring I wore on my left thumb. “Your ring will lead you to this one, wherever it might be. If necessary, your ring is encoded with a summoning that will draw mine to you if I am dead or it is lost. Even if I am not available to do so myself, bringing the two rings together will impart the secret of safely removing the device from his brain.”
“Yeah?” She looked at me sidelong, measuring. “Maybe I should, y’know, bring them together right now. Save myself the trip.”
“Despite having done a stupid thing or two in the past few days, I’m not an idiot. I’ll prepare my ring when you are far, far away. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t want us to fight. I would be sorry if I killed you, and sorrier if you killed me.”
She stared in open disbelief. “You want me to just trust you on this?”
“Yes,” I said. “Is that a problem?”
“Well… damn. I don’t know. It sure as hell ought to be.” She sighed and lowered herself to the sand beside me. “You are without a doubt the damnedest sonofabitch it’s ever been my dubious pleasure to meet. Probably should’ve roasted you back in Tidehollow.”
I nodded. “I’ve enjoyed working with you again.”
“You say that like you mean it.”
“Because I do.”
“Crazy thing is, I actually kind of believe you.” She slipped the ring onto her finger and held out her hand to admire it. “Goes with my hair, huh?”
“That hadn’t occurred to me,” I said, “but I suppose it does. Baltrice, I have something to tell you. We may not meet again, and there is one thing I truly do hope that you will believe about me.”
She gave me that sidelong look again. “Is this where you profess undying love? Save it. You’re not exactly the guy of my dreams.”
“Baltrice.” I laid my hand on hers. She let me. “I like to imagine that Jace Beleren knows how fine a friend he has in you. I hope he does; I certainly do. And I want you to know that I hope I might, someday, deserve a friend who cares as much for me.”
She flushed and looked away. “Tezzeret… come on. What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. I just want you to know. And I want you to believe that I mean you no harm.”
“That sounds like trouble.”
“It’s not impossible.”
She heaved herself to her feet and turned to face me. “I guess this is so long, then. Shame I can’t take the sled. Handy little gadget.”
“I need the etherium.”
“Yeah, I know. Look, Tezzeret, I’m not so good with the whole farewell thing. It’ll just take me a minute or two to shift off-plane-”